Are you ready to start training your Labrador puppy? With the proper guidance and techniques, Labrador puppy training can be rewarding for you and your four-legged friend! This article will provide helpful advice on how to raise a happy and disciplined dog through effective Labrador puppy training methods.
Labrador
The Labrador retriever, known as Labrador, is a breed of the retriever gun dog. Labrador is a breed of dog that originated in Canada. Initially, Labrador Puppy training was for sports. These puppies were also used as hunting dogs but are now widely kept as companion dogs.
The Labrador is loyal, playful, and obedient. It is widely known for its strong sense of sight, rich and smell. Labradors come in three colors- black, chocolate, and yellow.
Knowing how to train your Labrador puppy is much more important than knowing its diet, exercise, temperament, sleep schedule, etc. You will be surprised at how intelligent and submissive your Labrador puppy is with the proper training. You can turn your Labrador puppy into a beloved companion with the right and appropriately scheduled training. In this article, we’ve outlined a few tips to help with your Labrador Puppy training.
Tips for training a Labrador puppy
• Learn what motivates the Labrador puppy to obey.
• Ensure you start potty training early.
• Teach the Labrador puppy basic training.
• Always reward good behaviors and make treats less predictable.
• Teach biting inhibition.
• Be timely in your response and commands.
• Be consistent, precise, and direct.
• Consider using hand gestures.
What Is The Best Age To Start Training a Lab Puppy?
It becomes harder to train your dog the older it gets. However, you can still be too early in your Labrador puppy training. The advised time to commence Labrador puppy training is at two months( 8 weeks). At this age, it is said to be self-reliant and must have learned some canine behaviors from its mother and litter mates. You must also have a schedule for each age when training your Labrador puppy.
How To Train a Two-Month-Old Labrador Puppy
At this age, the Labrador is just coming to terms with your role in its life. Do not take advantage of your leadership. Follow these schedules when training your two-month-old Labrador puppy:
Establish Authority
This is the phase of the puppy’s life where you must establish yourself as a guide. First, start with teaching your Labrador puppy to follow you. Initially, you may have to incentivize the Labrador puppy with treats, cuddles, and praises. Once your puppy feels motivated to follow you around for treats, then you can begin to leave out the treats and train your Labrador puppy to follow without them.
Set Distinct Clues
When your two-month-old Labrador puppy is doing something right, you need to produce a stimulus it can attach to the activity. For example, you can whistle if the Labrador puppy runs towards you. Once it realizes that whistling and clapping are linked, you can dimple whistle, and the pup will run towards you.
Start potty training
It is advised to start potty training on the very first day you bring your Labrador puppy home. Start by showing your Labrador pup the sectioned area where you need it to potty, and make sure that this area is different from the surrounding areas. Then you can later process to making it a schedule, like first thing in the morning, before or after meals, etc.
Discourage biting
When training a Labrador puppy, shouting or shouting at it will instill fear and distrust and, in return, breed aggressiveness in the pup. Because of this, it is advised to use positive reinforcement methods by rewarding good behaviors with a treat. If your Labrador puppy snatches a treat from your hand violently, you can withhold the next one till it learns to take it gently. Redirect biting by offering a chewy toy.
Make Room For Socializing
Learn to take your Labrador puppy outdoors and exercise its socialization potential at this age. Visiting friends and families is one way. Another is taking your dog to dog parks. Ender, they have a positive outdoor experience. These activities are to be done often, most preferably daily.
Teach Patience
Teach your Labrador puppy to be patient using your judgment. This way, it becomes easy for your puppy to have self-control as it grows.
How To Train a Three-month-old Labrador puppy
It is time to elevate your training and teach your pup to respond to commands.
Teach the heel position
At this age, your Labrador puppy will follow you as soon as you start walking. You can use a whistle to teach your Labrador puppy to walk with the natural heel position. With time you’d have it waking at your heel, on the left side, without you needing to put a leash on it. It is also important to note that if your puppy walks behind you, that’s not a problem. All you need to do is walk in the area your Labrador puppy is familiar with, so it loses that habit.
Teach Your Labrador Puppy To Position Itself To Your Command
Your 3-month-old puppy is old enough to learn how to sit, stand or hold a position. You can teach it these procedures so that by the time he is four months, it will be much easier to command your dog to follow you.
Teach your Labrador puppy how to communicate
Suppose you need to teach your dog an effective way of communication. In that case, it may result in clawing or biting to pass a piece of information, and you don’t want a habit like that. For instance, you can teach your dog to ask for treats, whether it is a real treat or a cuddle. You can train your Labrador puppy to touch a part of your body with its nose or face to communicate effectively.
Activate Previous Distinct Clues
The response clues you set at two months, such as whistling, clapping, or raining praises, should be more intentional now. At this period, you will know if those training had an effect. You can use a whistle to make your puppy run toward or follow you. However, if you realize your dog still doesn’t respond to them, don’t force it. Leave your dog for a few days and continue. With time and consistent training, your pet will get it right.
Allow Your Puppy To Socialize Some More
By now, your puppy should recognize familiar faces from where you have taken her for a walk or visits from family and friends. Although this creates a social bond when these people are around, your dog must also learn to walk amid unfamiliar faces without causing a scare. For this reason, you must take your dog outdoors regularly. Hence, it gets used to it and understands that not everyone is an enemy.
Training a Four-Months-Old Labrador Puppy
Follow these steps when training your four-month-old Labrador puppy:
Teach your Labrador pup to sit and stay
Teaching your puppy to sit and stay is a useful command for the Labrador puppy. At first, it will be difficult for your pup to grasp. So start by getting the Labrador puppy to hold the ‘SIT’ position for a few seconds and then increase as time goes on.
Train your dog to fetch
A Labrador puppy has it in its genes to master the art of fetching, and to train it to fetch would not be complicated. You can take one of your pup’s favorite toys and throw it at a short distance. At first, the pup might not return it to you, but soon enough, it will get used to retrieval.
Teach your pup to walk on the leash
Walking outdoors on a leash is an essential part of Labrador puppy training. Using a harness is also very good.
After this, continue your puppy’s potty training.
Training a 5-month-old Labrador puppy
You first want to reinforce previous Labrador puppy training, then the next steps can follow.
Contain its energy
At five months, your Labrador’s energy catches up with its curiosity. You must be prepared to have your dog run ahead of you. But suppose you have developed a personal relationship with your pup. In that case, it will stay reasonably by your side, showing loyalty.
Training a six-month-old labrador puppy
By the sixth month, your puppy no longer remains a puppy. It is now approaching its adolescent age. This period is also where you introduce more advanced training.
1. Conclude your Labrador puppy potty training.
2. Increase exercise.
3. Begin advanced command training: Start with the two most useful commands. The first is “Leave it.” This command instructs the pup to leave whatever it’s holding on to. It helps instill discipline. The second is “Wait.” This command will be needed much more because your pup now has more energy.
Training a seven-month-old Labrador
At this age, you need to be consistent with your previous training. Wait till it grasps a particular technique before advancing.
1. Teach your Labrador dog to take things from your hands, following any command you bark out. Most people choose to use “TAKE IT.”
2. Command your Labrador to be vocal or bark. An amiable dog might not make an excellent guard.
Training an Eight-Month-Old Labrador
Your eight-month-old labrador dog is ready to learn more commands. Train your dogs to stop barking and to go to bed using specific commands. You can use the word “SPEAK” to make it more vocal and “QUIET” to stop it. You could make your Labrador dog go to places with just a command.
Training a Nine-Month-Old Labrador
Teach your Labrador dog to spin. You can do this by barking out the command “SPIN” and handing out treats afterward or holding the treat in your hand and spinning around. After a week, you can withdraw the treat and teach the Labrador to follow your finger. And you will still need to hand in the reward afterward.
Training a 10-Month-Old Labrador
At ten months, you must constantly reinforce previous commands. The process is further by adding more commands like “ROLL OVER,” “SPIN,” and so on while handing out high-value treats and praises.
Training an Eleven-Month-Old Labrador
This month is the last before your Labrador’s first birthday. All the Labrador puppy training over the past month would have been helpful. You can then add complex commands like “GO AHEAD” to make your Labrador walk ahead of you and use words you’ve taught earlier, like “WAIT” to stop it.
Training a One-Year-Old Labrador
By this age, your dog starts to learn to be compatible with your life. Your one-year-old labrador dog can now comprehend more quickly than when it was six months old.
Are Lab Puppies Easy To Train?
As shown from the schedule outlined above, it is easy. If you adopt a labrador puppy at an early age, it is easier to train. But, if you bring home an older labrador puppy, it will take a little more time to train.
A workable schedule only makes the Labrador puppy training easier as they are trainable, cute little dogs. This training will help turn your dog into the lovable companion you never knew you needed. If you enjoyed this Labrador puppy training article and would love to read on another wonderful breed, check the types of German shepherds.